Amusement ride



Nov. 23, 1965 TOBER 3,219,344

AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Aug. 7, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fi/hm A! Taber BY gm 4 fiww ATTORNEYS A. H. TOBER AMUSEMENT RIDE Nov. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1963 n .e x m7 M m m 5 V- E N R 0 w A A. H. TOBER' AMUSEMENT RIDE Nov. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 7, 1963 I I n I I i i 50-- 1' g 5'/- i i l l i i 1 INVENTOR. 700 an gmww ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,219,344 AMUSEMENT RIDE Allan H. Tober, 25 Northledge Drive, Snyder 26, N.Y. Filed Aug. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 300,563 8 Claims. (Cl. 2731) This invention relates to amusement rides such as are used in amusement parks, carnivals, and the like, and particularly to amusement rides of the roundabout type.

The present invention provides an amusement ride wherein the interest and enjoyment of the patrons is heightened by the fact that the patrons have a limited degree of control over the movement of the passenger cars or carriers and, by reason of such control, can steer or direct the carriers toward target devices disposed generally about the normal circular path which the passenger carriers travel in operation of the ride.

Thus the passenger carriers, while driven and guided to traverse a generally circular path, are steerable within certain limits so that the carriers or portions of them may zig-Zag or undulate in a horizontal plane under the guidance of passengers to establish contact with the target devices which are variously located about the general path of travel of the carriers.

Means are provided whereby the hits or contacts made by a carrier with targets in the course of a ride are recorded and thus various scores may be made, depending generally on the skill of the passenger in guiding the carrier to make such hits or contacts. As will appear later herein, various expedients may be employed for increasing or decreasing the difficulty of scoring hits or contacts to suit patrons of various ages and skills.

A fuller and clearer understanding of the novel operating principles of the amusement ride of the present invention will be had from a consideration of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed specification. However, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely by way of example and for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention and the scope of the invention is not limited to such embodiments, nor otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general top plan view of one form of the amusement ride of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken approximately on the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one of the passenger carriers or cars viewed generally from the center of the ride outwardly with portions shown in cross section for added illustration;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view partly in cross section of a modified target support arrangement;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a further modified form of target arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view partly in cross section of a still further traget structure modification; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 7.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings and, referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 12 designates a central vertical column or shaft fixed at its lower end to a base 13. A rotor assembly designated generally by the numeral 14 is mounted on shaft 12 for free rotation and has fixed thereto a large sprocket 15. A small companion sprocket 16 is fixed to the output shaft of a speed reducer 17. In FIG. 2 the numeral 18 designates a pulley for driving the speed reducer, the same being belt connected with an electric drive motor 19, both the reducer 17 and drive motor 19 being mounted on base 13.

The passenger carriers or cars are designated generally by the numeral 23 and are connected to the rotor assembly 14 by radiating arms 24 whereby the cars are moved about an annular platform 25. The arms 24 are pivoted to the large sprocket 15 as at 27 and upstanding bifurcated yokes 28 on sprocket 15 engage the arms 24 to cause the same to revolve about shaft 12 as the sprocket 15 is rotated. The play connection thus provided permits the cars to bear fully and ride evenly on their supporting wheels even though the platform 25 may be somewhat uneven and despite other inaccuracies in the construction of the apparatus.

A car 23 is shown in elevation in FIG. 3 as comprising a platform 30 with an approximately semi-circular passenger seat 31 fixed thereon. The passenger seat faces to the left as viewed in FIG. 3. Platform 30 is rotatably mounted on a beam 33 which extends generally in the direction of movement of the car. Caster wheels 34 are attached to the front and rear ends of beam 33 as clearly shown in FIG. 3.

A pivot pin 35 fixed to the beam 33 extends upwardly as shown in FIG. 3 and a bearing arrangement 36 carried by platform 30 of car 23 mounts the car for pivotal movement on a vertical axis. In the present embodiment the chief reason for the pivotal mounting of the car is so that passengers may establish contact with targets variously disposed about the path traveled by the cars.

As shown in FIG. 3, an arm 40 is fixed to the front of platform 30 and projects forwardly. A normally open switch 41 is carried at the forward end of arm 40 and a depending arm or lever 42 is adapted to momentarily close switch 41 when arm 42 comes into contact with a target object, as for instance, the ball 43 of FIG. 3. The bowling pin 44 merely carries out the bowling motif which is employed in the present specific embodiment of the invention.

Balls 43 may be fixed in various non-aligned positions about the pathway of the cars as indicated by the three balls shown in FIG. 1. Here again the ball shape of the targets is employed to carry out the bowling motif of the present embodiment and other target arrangements may be employed if desired.

In order to steer the car, which in the present instance means merely to rotate the platform on its pivot to swing arm 40 laterally and thus endeavor to bring switch arm 42 into operating abutment with a ball 43, a steering shaft 50 housed and journaled in a steering column 51 is provided. A steering wheel at the upper end of shaft 50 is designated 52 and a sprocket 53 is fixed to the lower end of steering shaft 51. A companion sprocket 54 is fixed to the upper portion or beam 33 and is coaxial with pivot pin 35. A chain 56 connects the sprockets 53 and 54 and thus manipulation of steering wheel 52 controls pivotal movements of platform 30 on pivot pin 35. Thus any of the occupants of the semicircular seat 31 may manipulate steering wheel 52 to adjust the front end of arm 40 transversely with respect to the general direction of car movement in an effort to cause the switch operator 42 to engage a target ball 43 and thus actuate switch 41 to momentarily close the same.

An arcuate scoreboard or register is mounted at the upper front portion of each passenger carrier 23 and in the present instance consists of a relay casing 62 and a series of lamp housings 61. The lamp housings may have windows at their front and rear surfaces bearing scoring indicia, in the present instance representing bowling scores. The successive lamps of the series of housings 61, extending from right to left as viewed in FIG. 2, are connected to the output terminals of a conventional stepping relay contained in relay casing 62.

Stepping relays are well known to those versed in the electro-mechanical arts and need not be illustrated here-v in. As conventionally constructed a ratchet mechanism is solenoid operated to advance a ratchet wheel which has iixed thereto a contact bearing a series of contacts which in the present instance are connected serially to the lamps in the housing 61. In the present instance the ratchet solenoid is connected for operation by the switch 41 so as to be advanced one contact whenever switch 41 is momentarily closed by engagement of its operating arm 42 with a target ball 43. A typical commercial form ofsolenoid operated ratchet type stepping relay is known as aGuardian Stepper.

Thus if the passenger or passengers of a given car effect a predetermined number of target contacts in the course of a ride a perfect score of 300 will be registered and displayed. Any suitable means for resetting the stepping relay may be employed, either at the relay housing 62 or elsewhere. Further, in addition to actuating the stepping relay, the switch 41 may, upon closure, actuate a sound signal such as a bell or buzzer.

While a mechanical target contact arrangement is illustrated in the drawings and described above, a photoelectric target arrangement may be employed, with upwardly directed light emanating from the targets and photoelectric relays employed in place of the switch 41 and arm 42, or vice versa.

In initially'installing the target balls 43 the same may be placed at a height which will render scoring sufliciently difiicult to achieve desired scoring results. In. the principal embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3', this may be accomplished by installing shims beneath the ball or the mounting therefor.

FIGS. 4 through 8 show alternative target ball constructions associated with platform 25 whereby the difficulty of scoring may readily be regulated and in the case of FIGS. 7 and 8 whereby a moving target ball may be provided.

For convenience of reference, the target ball in each of FIGS. 4 through 8 is designated 43 as heretofore and the platform is likewise similarly designated 25. In FIG. 4 ball 43 is mounted upon a hinge base 70 which may be adjusted pivotally to raise or lower the ball by rotation of an eccentric cam 71 upon which. base 70 rests.

In FIGS. and 6 the ball is merely to carry out the bowling motif and the operating arm 42- of the stepping relay actuating switch 41 engages an adjustable target device mounted just ahead of or just behind the ball 43. In FIGS. 5 and 6, this target device comprises a vertically adjustable support 75 which is threaded for height adjustment and has a horizontal tubular member 76 fixed to its upper end and a pair of telescoping rods 77 engaged in the opposite ends of tubular member 76. The rods 77 are telescopically adjustable with respect to member 76 to increase or decrease the width of the target as desired to adjust the difficulty of target engagement. certain periods of time the patronage may, be mostly children who would require a less difiicult target than adults.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show an arrangement wherein thetarget ball 43 moves laterally during operation of the ride to present a moving target. An arm 80 is pivoted to platform as at 81 and extends generally in the direction of movement of the passenger carriers 23. Target ball 43 is fixed to the outer end of arm 80 and a crank wheel 83 driven by a motorized reducer 84 oscillates arm 80 through a connecting link 85. Thus the ball 43 reciprocates transversely of the direction of movement of the carriers during ride operation.

I claim:

1. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central drive structure rotatable on anupright axis, a plurality. of arms radiating therefrom, and passenger carriers connected to the outer ends of said arms whereby said carriers traverse a generally circular path upon rotation of said central drive structure, a plurality of target devices disposed generally along said circular path of various radial distancesfromsaid upright axis, r neans on each carrier adapted to engage a taregt device in passing the same, manual means on said carrier for moving said target engaging means transversely relative to said circular path during movement of the carrier whereby a passenger may cause target engagement by bringing said engaging means in registry with a target as the carrier approaches the target, register means on each carrier for automatically recording each target engagement and indicating a total score proportionate tothe number of target engagements made by such carrier, and means actuated by saidtarget engaging means for activating said register means.

2. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a

central drive structure rotatable on anupright axis, a

plurality of arms radiating therefrom, and passenger carriers movably connected to the outer ends of said arms, said carriers being adapted to traverse a generally circular path upon rotation of said central drive structure, a plurality of target devices disposed generally along 'said circular path at various radial distances from said upright axis, means on each carrier adapted to engage a target device in passing the same, manual means on each carrier for moving the same to shift said target engaging means transversely relative to said circular path during movement of the carrier whereby a passenger may cause target engagement by bringing said engaging means in registry with a target as. the carrier approaches the target, register means for automatically recording each target engagement of each carrier and indicating a total score proportionate to the number of target engagements made by. such carrier, and means actuated by said target engaging means for activating said register means.

3. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a plurality of passenger carriers and drive means for moving the same in a generally circular path, a plurality of target devices disposed generally along said circular path in various transverse positions relative to said circular path, means on each carrier adapted to engage a targetgagement and indicating a total score proportionate tothe number of target engagements made by such carrier, and means actuated by said target engaging means for activating said register means.

4. In an amusement ride of the roundabouttype, a plurality of passenger carriers and drive means for moving the same in a generally circular path, a plurality of target devices disposed generally along said circular path in various transverse positions relative to said circular path, means on. each carrier adapted to engage a target device in passing the same, manual means on each carrier for moving the same. to shift said target engaging means transversely relative to said circular path during movement of the carrier whereby a passenger may cause target engagement by bringing said engaging means in registry with a target as the carrier approaches the target,

register means for automatically recording each target plurality of passenger carriers, drive means for moving the same in a generally circular path, means mounting each carrier for pivotal movement on an upright axis, a

plurality of target devices disposed generally along said.

circular path in various transverse positions relative to said circular path, means at the forward portion of each carrier adapted to engage a target device in passing the target engagement same, manual means on each carrier for pivoting the same to shift said target engaging means transversely relative to said circular path during movement of the carrier whereby a passenger may cause target engagement by bringing said engaging means in registry with a target as the carrier approaches the target, registry means for automatically recording each target engagement of each carrier and indicating a total score proportionate to the number of target engagements made by such carrier, and means actuated by said target engaging maens for activating said register means.

6. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central drive structure rotatable on a generally vertical axis, a plurality of arms radially therefrom, and passenger carriers pivotally connected to the outer ends of said arms for movement about upright axes, said carriers being adapted to traverse a generally circular path upon rotation of said central drive stucture, a plurality of target devices disposed generally along said circular path at various radial distances from said generally vertical axis, means at the forward portion of each carrier adapted to engage a target device in passing the same, manual means on each carrier for pivoting the same to shift said target engaging means transversely relative to said circular path during movement of the carrier whereby a passenger may cause target engagement by bringing said engaging means in registry with a target as the carrier approaches the target, register means on each carrier for automatically recording each target engagement and indicating a total score proportionate to the number of target engagements made by such carrier, and means actuated by said target engaging means for activating said register means.

7. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central drive structure rotatable on an upright axis, a plurality of arms radiating therefrom, and passenger carriers movably connected to the outer ends of said arms, said carriers being adapted to traverse a generally circular path upon rotation of said central drive structure,

a plurality of target devices disposed generally along said circular path at various radial distances from said upright axis, means on each carrier adapted to engage a target device in passing the same, manual means on each carrier for steering said carrier during movement thereof about said circular path to bring said engaging means in registry with a target as the carrier approaches the target, register means on each carrier for automatically recording each target engagement and indicating a total score proportionate to the number of target engagements made by such carrier, and means actuated by said target engaging means for activating said register means.

8. In an amusement ride of the roundabout type, a central drive structure rotatable on an upright axis, a plurality of arms radiating therefrom, and passenger carriers connected to the outer ends of said arms whereby said carriers traverse a generally circular path upon rotation of said central drive structure, a plurality of target devices disnosed gene-rally along said circular path at various radial distances from said upright axis, means on each carrier adapted to be activated by a target device in passing over the same, manual means on said carrier for moving said last mentioned means transversely relative to said circular path during movement of the carrier whereby a passenger may cause such activation by bringing said last mentioned means in registry with a target as the carrier approaches the target, and registry means on each carrier and actuated by said target activated means for tallying target engagements and indicating a score proportionate to the number of target engagements made by such carrier.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,546,917 3/1951 Bergen 272l--43 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner, 

4. IN AN AMUSEMENT RIDE OF THE ROUNDABOUT TYPE, A PLURALITY OF PASSENGER CARRIERS AND DRIVE MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAME IN A GENERALLY CIRCULAR PATH, A PLURALITY OF TARGET DEVICES DISPOSED GENERALLY ALONG SAID CIRCULAR PATH IN VARIOUS TRANSVERSE POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID CIRCULAR PATH, MEANS ON EACH CARRIER ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A TARGET DEVICE IN PASSING THE SAME, MANUAL MEANS ON EACH CARRIER FOR MOVING THE SAME TO SHIFT SAID TARGET ENGAGING MEANS TRANSVERSELY RELATIVE TO SID CIRCULAR PATH DURING MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIER WHEREBY A PASSENGER MAY CAUSE TARGET ENGAGEMENT BY BRINGING SAID ENGAGING MEANS IN REGISTRY WITH A TARGET AS THE CARRIER APPROACHES THE TARGET, REGISTER MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECORDING EACH TARGET ENGAGEMENT OF EACH CARRIER AND INDICATING A TOTAL SCORE PROPORTIONATE TO THE NUMBER OF TARGET ENGAGEMENTS MADE BY SUCH CARRIER, AND MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID TARGET ENGAGING MEANS FOR ACTIVATING SAID REGISTER MEANS. 